I Dream of Stars
by Trans Lion
Summary: Eric never expected that he'd be starting a journey when he came to the Kalos region. He also didn't expect to be wrapped up into the large mess known as Team Flare. He's sure he'll survive this though, right? Right. /Slow burn/


I don't own Pokemon except for the character Eric. My friend owns the rights to Ryan.

* * *

He opened the door to find her standing there, crying. Her face was stained with tears and had turned a puffy red, her hair in disarray and clothing wrinkled. Walking closer, the young child wrings his hands. He'd rarely ever seen his mother like this, his beautiful mother, the light of his life. The only thing he knew.

"Momma…?"

The crying falters, only small choked sobs are left. The woman sits down on her bed, pushing her light blonde hair away from her clammy face. A pitiful smiles warps her tear covered face as she pats her lap.

"Come here baby…" she beckons sweetly.

The child climbs into bed with his mother, accepting the sweet warmth that rolled off of her body. He knows his mother is upset with what his father had said- he was upset by it also. However, his mother always took things harder than he. For some reason, she always lets him get to her.

It was just a usual fight, father hated her. Father says mean things that make mother cry. What was so different about this time?

"My dear, dear, Ella," she coo's hoarsely, petting his soft platinum locks.

There is a frown at her words, but he says nothing. He had never liked that name, Ella, it just wasn't him. Saying this to his mother, however, would cause his mother more distress.

He stays quiet in hopes that his mother will calm. Her hands quickly fist into the blonde hair painfully, a surprised squeak leaving his lips at his mother's actions. The hand on his back tensed, his mother's body trembles against his own. He goes to speak, lips trembling, tongue thick and heavy.

"Momma…?"

"Be quiet!"

Her sharp voice quiets the boy, his body still. It was happening again. It was like last Wednesday all over again. Father upset her, mother cried. She got rough, she _hurt_ him. He holds back tears as he grew scared of the older woman, unconsciously curling up tighter on her lap, head buried in her thighs. He tried to keep the tears from falling but he couldn't help it as they wet her pants.

Her face would be dark if he looked up, she would be someone else, someone scary. A living nightmare to him. Before he could do anything, he was being yanked back by his shirt collar, his mother's hands gripping at his shirt. The darkness and pain he could see in her eyes were all too familiar as she drew back a hand, sending him into the darkness for the second time that week.

His mother's unconscious abuse became a larger part in his life. It was the same thing almost everyday, just without his father. He wouldn't say that his father backed out on them, he totally agreed with his reasons as to why he wanted a divorce. Mother was mentally ill, she was obsessive, she was everything that he wasn't.

He just wished his father would've taken him with him when he left.

* * *

Everyday he would have new purple bruises growing on his skin and he found it fun to poke them. Some were extra dark and others were yellowish and looked sick or infected. One time his mother had hit him and her ring caught his brow, it left him with a painful cut that bled and partially blinded his sight until he cleaned it. It later turned into a scar but, for some ungodly reason, he loved it all the same.

The older he became, the more he realized he wouldn't be able to hide these, these secret little love bruises. People at his school would notice, teachers would question. Earlier that week he learned that what his mother did to him was bad, but he couldn't help but question it- his mother loved him.

Didn't she?

One day a teacher at school noticed the purpling around his wrist when he pushed up his sweatshirt sleeves. She was one of his favorites, Mrs. June, a rather plump lady with curly brown hair who wore really pretty dresses. He had been eating lunch when Mrs. June came over to him and asked for him to come to her room. It was weird, he'd never had a teacher ask him that before, so he went with to fill his curiosity.

"Is everything alright at home, Ella?"

What she had asked, however, surprised him. Sure, he had thought that maybe one day someone would notice, however, he didn't expect it now.

"I… yeah, why wouldn't it be?" He questions.

She makes a noise, a hum of some sort, and rubs her chin. "Look, Ella, I'm here for you and-and I'll put it bluntly, I saw the bruises and I'm worried."

There was a silence between the two in the empty classroom. He knew better, his mother told him not to tell or he'd be beaten again but, for some reason, the thought of being free of her and couldn't help but tell his secret to this woman.

"Momma… she's been sick lately…"

* * *

A lot of things had gone down after he told Mrs. June. Somehow, mother found out and he got an extra hard beating that day, his ribs still burned. Some people showed up at his home, saying that they were going to be inspecting the home, checking the bruises his mother had given him. They called themselves Children Services- or at least that's what he thinks they said. The nice lady that showed up took pictures of him, making sure to get every bruise and scrape. The man who came with talked to him as the lady did this. He asked all kinds of questions, like how he got his scar and what his mother usually did. He found it odd but, they seemed trust worthy, so he told the two everything.

To say he wouldn't know what would happen when he told the Children Services people would be a lie. It was selfish of him, but the taste of freedom was on the tip of his tongue and he wanted it.

He was sent away that day.

A large building, expensive looking and intimidating, would be his temporary home until his mother could be taken to court and be trialed. It wasn't his ideal plan, but he hoped that he'd be able to leave just as quickly as he arrived.

It was a nice place, for the most part, very large and spacious-welcoming and warm. Mr and Mrs Daniels, the people who ran the home, were very nice to him, the kids, on the other hand, could be cruel at times. One boy, Ryan, stole his stuffed Zoura to make him mad. It didn't exactly work all that well. Although he was saddened, he figures Ryan probably needed the little Zoura more than he.

It was five months before he left the foster home.

* * *

They found an uncle in Sinnoh.

He apparently had no clue about him nor his mother, who was his step sister by his fathers re-marriage. Although he didn't know him, the man decided to take him in. He didn't really understand but he hoped that this man was nice.

The lady from at his house took him to an airport and told him about this man as they waited. He was supposedly young and rather quiet and he owned a gym over there. The lady had to explain to him what a pokemon gym was-they're weird. He also seemed to love electronics and mechanical things, he liked this guy already.

She looks down and smiles fondly at the small child next to her, his clothing slightly wrinkled, as if he had slept in them the night before. The bag next to him is small, very little fit inside and the only thing he seemed to treasure was the a single shiny pokeball that he cradled in his hand. She had tried to ask earlier where he received it, but he only stayed quiet and held it closer.

So she ignored it.

The calling for their plane rang over the intercom and the two shuffled to their loading dock. he quickly stuffed the pokeball into his coat pocket and rolled his bag into the large plane. People around him were buzzing madly and somehow he got stuffed between the lady and an old woman who fell asleep on him. He didn't mind, she probably had a long day.

* * *

The first impression he had of this man was that he was weird but amazing.

His name was Volkner, a new gym leader of the Sinnoh region and he loved electric type pokemon. The tall blonde man had a medium sized Luxio with him, who immediately came and sniffed him out, trying to identify who he was.

The lady and Volkner talked for a little, the man wearing a bored look on his face as she droned on and on about his medical needs and such. The man simply waved it off saying he already heard all of this and he wouldn't let him die.

He could tell the lady wasn't too pleased with this, however, she had to get on the next plane out to Kanto quickly.

After watching her leave, Volkner had picked him up and placed him onto the strong pokemon's back while he carried the bag. There was a frustrating silence between the two but Volkner, surprisingly had something to say at some point.

"I'm not going to say I'll be the best parent, alright? But I'm going to try- I'm still pretty young, just a new gym leader. I need to get my act together," Volkner looks into the boys eyes, two shockingly similar blue colours locking, "But I promise I'll take care of you to the best of my abilities."

This is where Volkner stops walking, his Luxio also halting in his movements. The blonde kneels down to get to his level, "What should I call you?"

For the first time in awhile, he truly smiled.

"Eric is fine with me."


End file.
